Athens & Crete: Best Itinerary Ideas

How many days do you need in Athens & Crete?

• Most travelers spend 9-12 days in Athens, Chania, and Vamos combined
• Visiting Athens, Chania, and Vamos in 6 to 8 days is possible, but it will feel rushed
• With 13 or more days, most travelers choose to add more stops to their trip
• The most common extension is Santorini

How Many Days to Spend on Crete

Recommended Itineraries for Athens & Crete

Recommended Itinerary for 9 Days

Get lost in the labyrinths of Crete with this nine-day itinerary as you enjoy the largest Greek island, with traditional village experiences, beach visits, and hikes filled with scenery and history. And, of course, many new snacks. Read more

Recommended Itinerary for 10 Days

Hippocrates prescribed trips to the Cretan seaside for ancient Greeks to treat various maladies, believing the air had healing powers. Take the waters with this 10-day itinerary. You'll visit the beaches of the port city of Chania and inland to the traditional Vamos village, where the fresh food and sea breezes are sure to cure whatever troubles you may have brought with you. Read more

Recommended Itinerary for 11 Days

Dwarf mammoths used to roam over the hills of Crete, and while they have since gone extinct, you can check out their old stomping groups with this 11-day itinerary. You'll trek over the expanse of the Samaria Gorge, explore the stone villages of Apokoronas and Vamos, and even learn how to take some of the food from your travels home with you in a cooking class in the Botanic Garden. Read more

Recommended Itinerary for 12 Days

Come to Crete with childlike enthusiasm on this 12-day itinerary. After an Athenian mythology tour, the island awaits you, with Venetian architecture, sprawling natural landscapes, and historic stone villages ready to be explored. Read more

Extended Itineraries

2-Week Itinerary Including Naxos, Santorini & Heraklion

Experience the romance of Crete, captivating Athens, and the classic Cyclades with the 14-day version of this adventurous itinerary. You'll use coastal Chania as your base, taking in medieval architecture, elegant mansions, sculpted fountains, and a postcard-perfect Venetian port. Spend a few nights in Vamos, a traditional village, before wrapping up your journey with Santorini and lesser-known Naxos. Read more

15-Day Itinerary Including Naxos & Tinos

Start and end in Athens but spend most of your time in the Greek islands with this active 15-day itinerary. Whether you're scaling up to the tops of the cliffs on Tinos or down into Samaria Gorge on Crete or catching a wave along the way, this trip will keep you moving. Read more

24-Day Itinerary Including Naxos, Nafplio & Tinos

You'll have plenty of time to bike, hike, surf, and explore the country of Greece in every possible manner on this epic 24-day itinerary. Whether pedaling past beaches or trekking up the Pindos mountains, the mainland has plenty to offer before heading to the Cyclades. Climb and dive through the islands of Tinos and Naxos, then learn to cook on Crete before you return to the mainland for a visit to coastal Nafplio. Read more

How to travel between Athens, Chania & Vamos

Chania is the second largest city on Crete and the island's former capital. Chania is known for its intersection of histories and cultures. Once under Byzantine rule, Chania was taken over by the Venetians in the 13th century and by the Ottomans in the 17th century and still contains many traces of these different cultures today. Read more